CHARLES CHUCKIE RUSSELL PASSES AWAY

Written by Scott Williams-Collier


Chicago Outfit soldier Charles Chuckie Russell has passed away from cancer. 

The prolific burglar and member of the Grand Avenue Crew once said he had robbed thousands of homes during his career, and no one ever refused to open their safe for him. He also said that the best way to motivate his victims into opening their safe was to threaten them with a butane torch to the bottom of their feet.

The mobster was arrested in December of 2016 after trying to purchase guns from an undercover agent. A further search of his home revealed an illegal firearm.

Chuckie was facing 15 years in prison but was too ill to face trial. After pleading guilty to the single firearm charge he was released on bond. He spent the remainder of his days living with his girlfriend, Patricia Spilotro who was the niece of notorious mobster Anthony The Ant Spilotro.

Russel once said, "Nothing gets my juices flowing like putting a gun to someone's head, taking their stuff and making it mine!" He also apparently said to agents after his 2016 arrest, "You guys did a great job."

Being terminally ill with cancer obviously isn't a nice way to go but I couldn't imagine facing at least 15 years in prison at 70 years old would be either.

Charles Chuckie Russell was moved to a hospice in the final days of his life, where he passed away from prostate cancer.

THE BOARDED BARN MURDERS

Written by Amanda Wood

40 years ago a macabre double murder took place on bonfire night in 1979. The naked bodies of two wealthy ladies, Anne Carryer and Elizabeth Christine Blood both 39, were found in separate bedrooms in a large 16th-century country cottage near Congleton. They had both been gagged, Mrs. Carryer had also been raped then both ladies were both callously shot in the head with a double-barrelled shotgun.

The house had been owned by Anne Carryer's mother who had recently died. The two ladies who had been friends since school had driven to the cottage separately to sort out her possessions. The murders were discovered by Anne's sister-in-law around 7:30 PM.

The Police lead by superintendent Tom Brooks launched a massive investigation utilising 120 police officers in an attempt to track down the killers.  Roadblocks were set up and every passing motorist was questioned by the police.

Tracker dogs combed the countryside surrounding the cottage searching for clues and the weapons used in the attack.

Police search for clues.

There appeared to be no motive for the brutal attack. Police originally thought it was possibly a burglary gone wrong, as the house had at one time contained many antiques.

In a lucky twist of fate, police were lead 70 miles away to Huddersfield. Here the police investigating the theft of lead from a church roof stumbled upon a sawn-off shotgun, which was hidden beneath the bed of suspect Stephen Anderson.  In turn, this also lead to the arrest of Paul Hebel and Paul Jennings. The three eventually admitted to hiring a Ford Cortina and driving over to Scholar Green.

It is believed locally that the suspects had intended to kidnap a relative of wealthy businessman Alex Humphreys, a local supermarket owner, who in later life became a director at Stoke City Football Club.  It is believed the kidnap plot was to extort money from the wealthy businessman.

Ramsdell Hall 

Sadly for the two ladies, the three men turned up at the wrong house, and with no valuables to take they proceeded with their shocking crime. The three tormented the two ladies forcing them to dance naked for them. Elizabeth then had to watch with a loaded gun to her head, as Jennings raped her best friend. The two women were then lead away to separate bedrooms where they were bound to the bed and shot in the head through pillows with a sawn-off shotgun.  Elizabeth Blood had also been shot in the neck and Anne Carryer was also shot twice in the small of her back.

All three men were convicted and sentenced at Chester Crown Court to serve a minimum of 30 years for murder, aggravated burglary, and rape.

Stephen Aderson committed suicide within hours of his sentence at Risley Remand Centre by setting fire to the mattress in his cell. The two remaining men Phillip Jennings and Paul Hebel it is believed would have been released from prison in 2010. The pair would then be in their mid-50s and able to enjoy many years of freedom unlike the poor two ladies, who they brutally murdered on that chilling night.

I'm sure that this brutal crime will be long remembered in the local area of Scholar Green.

YORKSHIRE RIPPER HOAXER WEARSIDE JACK DIES!

Real killer Sutcliffe on the left. Ripper Hoaxer, John Humble on the right

Written by Scott Williams-Collier

Yorkshire Ripper hoaxer, John Humble has died. Reports of his death have only just been made public, but apparently, he passed away on the 30th of July after years of alcoholism.

Humble sent the police on a wild goose chase in the late 1970s after sending a series of letters and a tape recording to the police. Diverting the police from the trail of the real killer Peter Sutcliffe who would go on to kill another 3 women.

John Humble would eventually be caught in 2005 after his DNA was taken after a minor offense by the police, and connected to DNA taken from the Yorkshire Ripper Hoaxers letters.

Humble admitted to sending two letters and a tape recording between the 1st of March 1978 and the 30th of June 1979 to the police and a 3rd letter to the Daily Mirror newspaper.

A dislike of the police and a fascination with the Jack The Ripper case were thought to be the reason he sent the letters and tape recording to the police, which massively hindered the police investigation.


after spending over 25 years as a freeman, the police finally caught up with Humble. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison in 2006 for perverting the course of justice.

After being released from prison in 2009, John Humble changed his name to John Anderson and spent the last years of his life in South Shields. His death is not being treated as suspicious.